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Category Archives: Philadelphia Area Schools

WCU ranks as one of the best schools in the nation
West Chester University (WCU) was one of only three public institutions in Pennsylvania recently named to the 100 Best Values in Public Colleges list for 2016 by “Kiplinger’s Personal Finance” magazine.

WCU ranked 77th on the list with a 53 percent admission rate, 44 percent four year graduation rate, and an average debt at graduation of $30,881.

WCU was also ranked by U.S. News & World Report, coming in tied at 71st for Regional Universities in the north; 18th in Top Public Schools in the north; and tied at 53rd for Best Colleges for Veterans in the north.

In There Is Life After College, Jeff Selingo explores why students struggle to launch into a career after college and how they can better navigate the route from high school through college and into the work world

The so-called degree premium has long been the biggest selling point of going to college. Simply put, on average college graduates earns more over a lifetime than high-school graduates.

In 1983, the so-called wage premium was 42 percent. That’s how much more the typical bachelor’s degree recipient earned compared with a high school graduate. Today, it surpasses 80 percent.

But that number has always been based on broad averages, and in recent years a more nuanced view of the economic value of college has emerged that shows not all colleges or majors are created equal when it comes to the return on investment.

College Tuition is Outpacing the Wage Premium and Inflation

Source: Goldman Sachs

Going to college is still worth it given some sort of post-high school credential provides benefits to the individual and society that can’t be easily measured in dollars and cents. Still, the question more and more students should be asking these days is where and how that degree should be obtained and just how much they should spend, especially if they need to take on mounds of debt to pay for a degree.

Wages after graduation vary greatly based on college and major, and not always in ways that you’d expect. An analysis of new Department of Education data last fall by the Economist found that graduates of the bottom 25 percent of colleges (based on SAT scores of its incoming students) earned less, on average, than high-school graduates.

Economist Top 10 Universities: Alumni Earnings Above Expectations

Most of the financial rewards of a degree, the Economist, found go to graduates of those schools in the very top tier of scores or with lots of engineering, computer science, and business majors. The gap between the wages of those in the 99th percentile of scores and the 99.9th percentile is as large as the one between the 1st and 20th percentile.

The Economist calculated its own rankings on schools it found produced the best salary outcomes based on the incoming SAT scores of its students. There are usual suspects at the top of the list, such as Harvard and Penn, but also at the top are Washington & Lee, Villanova, and Lehigh. Yale is near the bottom.

Perhaps the most important factor in post-graduate success is HOW you go to college.

Where you go to school is a factor in how well you do afterwards, but it’s certainly not the only one. Even recent graduates of Harvard are standing in the unemployment line. What might matter more is what you do while you’re in school—your major plays a role as well as how much you engage in your studies.

Even so, the head of the center, Tony Carnevale, warns students who pick their majors solely on the basis of the expected paycheck not to count their money too quickly. Salaries for specific majors can differ greatly, too. The top quarter earners who majored in humanities or the liberal arts make more than the bottom quarter of engineering majors. What’s more, only 22 percent of graduates with degrees in science and math actually get jobs in those fields and utilize their training.

Why is there such a wide variation within majors? Because some students take advantage of the opportunities presented during their four years of college while others sleepwalk through their studies.

Gallup has found that a graduate’s well-being (that is, being happy, comfortable, and satisfied) is closely tied to what you do while in college. College graduates who said they had a professor who cared about them as a person and encouraged them to follow their dreams were more than twice as likely to be engaged in life and work after graduation—meaning they were curious, interested, and had a passion for what they were doing.

The same was true for graduates with outside-the-classroom experiences, internships, research projects, campus clubs, and athletic teams. But here’s the problem: only 14 percent of graduates recalled having a professor who made them excited about learning and encouraged them.

Such a dizzying array of numbers is likely to confuse anyone thinking about college. The bottom line is to pay attention to the nuances in the averages about the ROI of a college degree and ask a lot of questions about the outcomes of the schools you might be considering.

No match is perfect as the labor market is moving faster than higher education is responding, but armed with the right information about the value of a college degree you will have a shot at making an informed decision.

Pennsylvania’s suburbs, specifically those in Chester County and Montgomery County, rank among the very best places to buy a home in America, according to Niche (www.niche.com).

Niche specializes in providing students, families, and professionals with helpful information for choosing a neighborhood, college, or school. Chester County features five of Niche’s top 60 suburbs.

Upper Uwchlan is the highest ranked suburb in Chester County, boasting “A+” education grade, a crime and safety grade of “A,” and a 91.7 percent home ownership rate.

West Whiteland Township, Tredyffrin, Birmingham, and East Whiteland townships are all in Chester County, and all finish in the top-60 of Niche’s survey results (26th, 41st, 52nd and 60th overall, respectively).

Philadelphia’s suburbs dominate the list of the top places to buy a home in America. By Niche’s numbers, the region offers strong housing markets “where property taxes and housing costs are in line with value.”

Like this:

Remember the proverbial extra weight that college students pack on their first year away from home? It’s nothing compared with the hefty load of debt that weighs down many students when they leave college four or five years later. Student loan debt, as everyone knows, has reached jaw-dropping proportions: more than $1 trillion, by the government’s latest estimate.
As September marks the annual exodus back to college campuses, the topic of paying for college has been much in the news lately. On Aug. 22,President Obama said he wants a national ratings system in place by 2015 that would rank colleges based on average tuition, loan debt,graduation rates and post-college earnings. And last week, the federal consumer watchdog agency announced a “toolkit” designed to help public service employees – teachers, firefighters, police officers and others – understand their options and get started paying off their student loans.
As government searches for big-picture ways to slim down college debt, here are some closer-to-home tips for trimming the fat from college costs, especially for freshmen. 1. Make a file
Get a file folder and toss in all your receipts for one month. Whether it’s a candy bar or a computer, keep your receipts. After 30 days, pull it out to see what – and where – you’ve spent. If you’re buying too many pricey coffees or fast-food sodas, you’ll see it. Or track your spending in more tech-savvy ways, on sites like Mint.com. Being aware of your daily spending is a way to keep your yearlong costs under control.2. Check it out
Look for banks or credit unions with student-friendly checking accounts, with such perks as no monthly fees, low (or zero) minimum balances or free ATM withdrawals. Some will waive fees on your first-time overdraft. But be aware of any other fees, such as a surcharge for out-of-network ATM withdrawals. Sign up for mobile alerts on your phone, which can ping you if a bill is due or your account is running low.3. Avoid the plastic
At the very least, treat your credit card as a last resort, used only for emergencies. A debit card can limit your spending; when the account runs low, you can’t spend. But there’s more risk if it gets lost or stolen. A credit card, while safer in cases of theft, can be riskier in racking up big bills and costly fees. In 2012, the average college undergraduate was carrying $3,173 in credit card debt,according to Federal Reserve System statistics.4. Meal deals
If you or your parents bought a campus meal plan, use it. Otherwise, it can be just throwing away money. Don’t buy a bigger plan than you need; adjust accordingly every quarter or semester. Keep snacks on hand: peanut butter, crackers, fresh fruit. It can help avoid last-minute trips to fast-food outlets. Sign up for your local grocery store’s rewards card so you’ll get discounts whenever you shop. 5. Use your ID
Not the fake one, but your student card that can qualify for discounts at retailers, theaters, museums and other venues. Many businesses in college towns cater to students by offering discounted deals. It never hurts to ask.6. Cheap books
The cost of new textbooks can demolish any budget. Instead of that new $175 chemistry book, get used textbooks. There are dozens of options, from the campus bookstore or bulletin boards to online sites like Chegg.com, Textbooks.com or Amazon.com. Use a comparison site, like DirectTextbook.com. Be sure you’re looking up the exact edition and ISBN number of the required book. Also be aware of shipping charges.7. Don’t forget ‘free’
When it comes to entertainment, check out free concerts, films, club sports, etc. offered on campus. Join campus groups or clubs; many have no-cost activities and events, often with food. Rather than eating out every weekend, do at-home dinner parties with friends.8. Use your summers
Take some community college classes – for cheap – that will transfer to your university for credit. Some students cobble together enough units to shave off a semester. Perhaps, be a part timer?!9. Get a Part Time Job
You don’t want to neglect classes, but a part-time job can pay for incidentals, boost a résumé, provide some time-management skills. Use your skills, whether it’s babysitting for faculty members, tutoring, teaching guitar or piano, designing websites or dog-walking in local neighborhoods.10. Stay on track
If you change majors or get squeezed out of required classes, graduating in four years can be challenging. But staying on top of graduation requirements can save you from extra semesters that can cost thousands of dollars in extra tuition, rent and other expenses. Check in regularly with your campus advisers to be sure you’re on schedule.11. Find scholarships
Even if your campus didn’t offer you a full ride, don’t give up on college scholarships. Sites like FastWeb.com, Scholarships.com and SallieMae.com let you search by college major, ethnicity, religion, sports or special interests. Don’t laugh: The U.S. Bowling Congress, for instance, offers a $1,000 scholarship to a college student who is an amateur bowler with a GPA of at least 2.5.12. Keep it simple:
Too often, college-bound students buy and bring too much stuff to school. Here’s what Kiplinger’s personal finance magazine says college students don’t need: New textbooks, a high-end computer, a printer, a pricey smartphone plan, cable TV (watch streaming videos on a computer), a car (especially for freshmen), overdraft protection on bank accounts, campus health insurance (assuming coverage under the family’s health plan) and private loans, which carry higher interest rates and less flexible repayment plans than federal loans.

Chester County remains one of Pennsylvania’s fastest growing counties in population, according to figures released recently by the U.S. Census Bureau, but it is also bucking a trend in the state regarding where its population growth is taking place. Although the overwhelming number of new residents in the county found their home in one of its 57 townships, there was significant growth from July 2010 to July 2012 in its 15 boroughs, the numbers show. “Chester County is different than the statewide trends,” said David Ward, the assistant director of the county Planning Committee, who spoke about the new census numbers on Friday. “We are seeing as much reinvestment in the boroughs as new development in the townships.” The growth in borough population, Ward and others said, was driven by a number of factors, including the fact that infrastructure such as roads, water and sewage systems are largely in place, and that younger residents are finding it more affordable to locate in those largely urban areas. According to the Census Bureau’s estimates, the county’s population rose by 7,697 over the two-year span from 2010 to 2012, from 498,886 to 506,575, an increase of 1.5 percent. (The county’s population topped the 500,000 mark in July 2011, with an estimated 503,662 residents.) Of the growth within the county, West Goshen led all municipalities, with 826 new residents added to its 2010 population of 22,926, a 3.8 percent growth rate, meaning that it was the third-fastest growing township in the state. Chester County’s boroughs also increased in population overall, rising by 970 residents, or an increase of 12.6 percent. Leading the way was West Chester, the county seat, which added 396 residents, making it the third-fastest growing borough in the state. According to the census estimates, the 10 municipalities with the most population growth from 2010 to 2012 were West Goshen with 826 new residents; East Brandywine with 537; London Grove with 463; West Chester with 396; Valley with 386; Kennett with 244; Uwchlan with 238; West Vincent with 220; Caln with 215; and Honey brook with 211.

Attention to academic excellence and rigor from area students was rewarded recently as 13 Chester County high schools were named to Newsweek magazine’s list of the top 2,000 high schools in America. Newsweek publishes a review of its annual listing for the top 2,000 high schools in the nation based on the latest data from 2012. In order, the county’s ranked high schools are: Conestoga at No. 124, Unionville at No. 239, Great Valley at No. 359, Downingtown East at No. 604, Downingtown West at No. 696, West Chester Henderson at No. 807, Phoenixville Area at No. 839, West Chester Bayard Rustin at No. 932, West Chester East at No. 1,036, Renaissance Academy Charter School at No. 1,055, Avon Grove at No. 1,394, Kennett at No. 1,525 and Octorara at No. 1,685. Criteria used by the publication assigns 25 percent of the ranking to the school’s graduation rate, 25 percent to college acceptance rate, 25 percent to AP/IB/AICE tests per student, 10 percent for average SAT/ACT scores, 10 percent for average AP/IB scores, and 5 percent based on the percentage of students enrolled in at least one AP/IB course during the school year.

Best Places to Raise Kids
The 12 Most Family-Friendly Philly Suburbs

Courtesy of Philadelphia Magazine // Photography by Ryan Donnell

If you are forgoing city for ‘burbs, as a parent you want two things: safe streets and good schools. But after that, the choices vary: A touch of urbanity? Wide-open spaces? A charming downtown? We crunched the numbers, analyzed the data and forayed out into the field. No matter your preference, we found a locale worth moving to.

Flanked by bustling Montgomery and Wynnewood avenues, Narberth—a half-square-mile borough nestled in the middle of Lower Merion Township—is easy to miss. Which is just fine by self-professed “Narbs”; after all, that’s what makes the town a magnet for kid-raising, even if there’s no place to park. The über-private and clannish should keep moving, but if you’re looking for over-the-fence chitchat and a plethora of playdates, this is the burg for you: Everyone here knows everyone else. Despite its postage-stamp size, the town boasts its own government and police force. Kids can walk to the old-school movie house, and the town offers diversions both active (a sprawling park that hosts countless sports leagues) and creative (the Handwork Studio organizes workshops to teach knitting and other crafty skills). Parents come for the vaunted Lower Merion schools but stay for the family-friendly vibe, reflected in a calendar of events whose highlight is a legendary annual Dickens fete that transforms downtown into 1840s London.

Huntingdon Valley

Population: 12,982*
School district: Lower Moreland
SAT scores: 537 math / 566 reading / 550 writing
Crime rate: .48 violent crimes per 1,000; 19.11 nonviolent per 1,000
Median home price: $365,000
Leafy and green, Huntingdon Valley doesn’t have a lot of shopping or decent restaurants, but it does have that rarest of modern commodities: silence. Sit out during the summer, and you can actually hear the crickets—and, blissfully, not much else. What the town lacks in Main Street amenities it makes up for in “a real sense of community,” says mother-of-three Linda Kline—“a sense that people are looking out for each other.” Parents are expected to be involved in the schools, and they are: Lower Moreland sends a staggering 97 percent of its students on to college, a long-standing tradition in one of the most well-educated and successful areas in the state. And while there may be little “there there,” fewer diversions mean more focus on actual family and neighbor connections. Says Kline, “You always have the feeling you’re raising your kids in a positive environment.” Sometimes, it takes a Valley …

Wayne

Population: 31,531*
School district: Radnor Township
Average SAT scores: 567 math / 606 reading / 568 writing
Crime rate: .64 violent crimes per 1,000 residents; 10.66 nonviolent per 1,000 Median home price: $456,500**
The perennial worry of city-dwellers has been that moving to suburbia risks landing in a place that isn’t really a place—no middle, no center, no soul. Out in Wayne, yes, the schools are great. We know it’s safe. “But for a while, Wayne had a stigma as older and upper-class,” says Pattie Lamantia, owner of the Wedding Shoppe. “It’s gotten much younger now.” And when Beau Moffitt of Out There Outfitters describes what he calls “Walk to Wayne” as if it’s an official event, you understand why: Once you’re about 11 years old, Moffitt says, you can make the trek downtown from, say, half a tree-lined mile away. And you do, often, to hang out with other kids at Gumdrops & Sprinkles or the old Anthony Wayne Theater or maybe the art center. Or you stroll down with your parents: They’ll have a latte at Gryphon, you’ll hang at Bravo Pizza, everyone rendezvousing at Christopher’s for a proper family dinner. Downtown Wayne beckons. It’s friendly and easy and warm, and sometimes dramatically old-time Americana: The lighting of the town Christmas tree. The soap-box derby. Only one problem: not enough parking. So … walk. Into smart suburbia with a soul. *Population of Radnor Township; includes Wayne and other neighborhoods.

Upper Providence

Population: 21,219
School district: Rose Tree Media
Average SAT scores: 527 math / 543 reading / 526 writing
Crime rate: .27 violent crimes per 1,000; 2.17 nonviolent per 1,000
Median home price: $293,000
For modern parents who want it all—domesticity and woodsy open space, great schools and great restaurants—we say: You can’t have everything. But in unassuming Upper Providence, you can come really close. And you’ll be in good company—of the almost 3,000 families in the last census, nearly a third had children under age 18. That families are flocking here is no surprise: With 2,600 acres of woodland next door at Ridley Creek State Park and the Delaware County seat of Media nestled in its bosom, Upper Providence offers a heady mix of both nature and culture. “My only complaint is the deer,” jokes Patricia Giardinelli, a librarian at the Media-Upper Providence Library and mother of two. She goes on to praise the Rose Tree school district—a Department of Education Blue Ribbon Award nominee (“So diverse”)—and the quiet safety of the streets. Still, “There’s so much going on in the borough,” she says. “We moved here because of Media.” We moved here because of Media? Uh, yes. Where else do the perks range from free Reiki sessions to an annual Christmas lights display worthy of Bedford Falls? Here, it’s a wonderful life.

When the city is too congested and the suburbs are too, well, suburb-y, Warwick’s unique brand of farm-fresh suburbia, in a pastoral swath of Bucks County, offers an atmosphere that’s tight-knit without being suffocatingly cul-de-sac. Years ago, Warwick’s families kept to themselves in rural neighborhoods, but the recent establishment of a Little League and a heavy community-events schedule (Colonial reenactments!) have the township pulling together a bit more tightly. “Warwick Day” comes complete with Pollyanna-esque pie-baking competitions, and parents swap war stories at local pub the Jamison Pour House while the kids hang out in the gaming room. The township’s most singular feature may be its proximity to Ross Hill Farm, perhaps the most notable pig farm in the region and the host of an annual “Piggypalooza.” (What kid doesn’t love a good pig?) The only real downside: the distance from Philly (23 miles, but an hour’s drive). But Helene Gold, a former local PTA president who commutes to the city daily, says it’s manageable: “That’s the trade-off. I drive far to work so my kids can have the childhood I wanted to give them.”

Upper Makefield

Population: 8,190
School district: Council Rock
SAT scores: 535 math / 563 reading / 546 writing
Crime rate: .59 violent crimes per 1,000; 9.28 nonviolent per 1,000
Median home price: $585,000
Residents here respect the town’s lush green scenery; the township’s aggressive reforestation and restoration of stream banks has preserved more than a full third of its open space. Kids raised here grow up near the site of George Washington’s crossing of the Delaware, anticipating the annual Christmas Day reenactment of the event (thanks to cheery help from the local fire department); families pop in at McConkey’s Ferry Inn Museum, where Washington had dinner before launching. The renowned Council Rock School District has a culture of high expectations and levels of parental involvement: If you’re coming here to raise kids, you’re likely to be helping to paint the school mascot’s costume or fund-raising for playground equipment. While organized sports are a constant (including a passionate lacrosse base), locals take equal pride in school music programs—perfect for the budding Beethoven in your brood.

Wynnewood

Population: 13,299
School District: Lower Merion
Average SAT scores: 574 math / 589 reading / 576 writing
Crime rate: .58 violent crimes per 1,000; 15.29 nonviolent per 1,000*
Median home price: $415,000
For young couples looking to set up shop—and not move that shop for a good handful of years—Wynnewood serves as a perfect gateway address to the Main Line. It’s of the first-ring variety of suburbia, technically just a postal district nestled in Lower Merion. A mere eight driven miles or four train stops outside Center City, Wynnewood is especially appealing for new suburbanites not quite ready to rip off the city-life Band-Aid. And while it’s chock-full of the stately Chestnut Hill-esque stone manses one still thinks of as old Main Line—established, mature developments, as opposed to new construction—there’s also an abundance of lovely homes to be had beginning in the $200,000s and low $300,000s, a real estate diversity not shared by its more western neighbors. The Wynnewood Shopping Center serves as the de facto town hub, while a sojourn to nearby Narberth quenches the need for cutesy. And kids attend those powerhouse Lower Merion schools, promising the path to a Successful Life. It might not be where you retire. But it’s hard to find a better place to start.

Swarthmore

Population: 6,194
School district: Wallingford-Swarthmore
Average SAT scores: 559 math / 575 reading / 558 writing
Crime rate: 1.15 violent crimes per 1,000; 13.83 nonviolent per 1,000
Median home price: $405,000
Maybe it’s the choo-choo train in downtown Swarthmore’s stroller-packed Tot Lot. Or the kid-friendly yoga classes at the Creative Living Room rec center. Or our personal fave, the local Santa Claus hot line, which dispatches St. Nick himself for in-home Christmas Eve visits. Something about this college town, packed with shady streets of (affordable!) colonials and Victorians, incites even the most jaded to want to hop on a tricycle and pedal back to childhood. But while kids in Swarthmore reap the benefits of award-winning public schools (the elementary school has a U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon) and bike rides to the revered Co-Op (whose produce is literally award-winning) and library (which has the largest circulation rate per capita in the county), grown-ups don’t have it bad, either. The town’s august namesake college opens up its concerts, lectures and 300-acre arboretum to the public, meaning kids aren’t the only ones with stimulating extracurriculars—good news, since the whole town is dry. While it can all get a bit crunchy, and taxes are steep (those blue ribbons don’t come cheap), that’s more than offset by easy train access into Philly and the quaintness of a soap-opera town without all of those desperate housewives.

Solebury

Population: 8,692
School district: New Hope-Solebury
SAT scores: 555 math / 564 reading / 548 writing
Crime rate: .91 violent crimes per 1,000; 8.64 nonviolent per 1,000
Median home price: $537,000
Looking to nurture a Tom Sawyer-type adventurer? Parents come here for the wide-open spaces. Land conservation’s big: Residents have voted for higher taxes (it’s still a bargain, claims one parent) to save green space and farmland from development. The township’s quaint villages have historical-marker appeal with none of the shabbiness; moms and dads in these parts may embrace their farm-y aesthetic, but they earn Wall Street and pharma salaries. The high-participation youth sports leagues (football, soccer, baseball and more) and the solid, small New Hope-Solebury School District mean everybody’s acquainted, involved and serving on a committee; you’ll need to show up an hour early to get a good seat at the third-grade recital. Just how rural is Solebury? Among the FAQs addressed on the township’s website: “What should I do about a dead deer in my yard?” But the occasional animal carcass is a small price to pay for parents craving life in the archetypal American pastoral, and a stone’s throw away, New Hope, Doylestown and Peddlers Village provide the artsiness, shopping, nightlife.

Lafayette Hill

Population: 17,349*
School district: Colonial ∆SAT scores: 526 math / 549 reading / 522 writing
Crime rate: .51 violent crimes per 1,000; 12.02 nonviolent per 1,000**
Average home price: $295,000
Location, location, location: It’s the real estate seller’s mantra. And while parents don’t pick a place to raise a family based solely on commuting, if they did, they might pick Lafayette Hill. For those whose jobs and responsibilities take them back and forth between city and ’burbs, the town offers perhaps the region’s best location—an idyllic burg with great schools and community can-do spirit sitting snugly between the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the Blue Route and the Schuylkill Expressway. A cheaper alternative to living on the Main Line, it’s also well framed, surrounded by Morris Arboretum, a state park, and six golf courses (including one rated in the top hundred by Golfweek magazine), as well as Chestnut Hill and Mount Airy, infusing city vibes without city problems. Still, it has “a very small atmosphere,” in the words of Linda Pudles, manager of Down 2 Earth Kids and a mother of two. That translates into an informal network of playdate-making parents who could run a Fortune 500 company with their organizing skills, as manifested in everything from the packed annual Whitemarsh Township Day in April (think The Music Man’s River City sans the 76 trombones) to the summer entertainment series, with free movies and concerts staged in Miles Park. And the library is currently undergoing a $4.4 million renovation, cementing its status as the ersatz town square.

Jenkintown

Population: 4,422
School district: Jenkintown
Average SAT scores: 565 math / 574 reading / 579 writing
Crime rate: .93 violent crimes per 1,000; 3.49 nonviolent per 1,000
Median home price: $160,000
For the car-averse, the organic, the financially squeezed and, most of all, the urban-obsessed, the options for raising a family once that family starts growing can seem troubling: Stay in the funky, gentrifying city ’hood (NoLibs, Bella Vista, Grad Hospital), down the street from the PBR-strewn vacant lot where the hipsters play their weekly games of ironic kickball? Or pull up stakes for the ’burbs, only to try to forget you’re in the ’burbs? What you need is a house—multiple bedrooms with a touch of greenery that you can call a yard, a town with good schools and no crime that still feels like you’re in the city. Enter Jenkintown (factoid: hometown of Bradley Cooper), the inner ’burb with the urban flavor, where the median home is a steal at $160,000 (which can mitigate the higher-than-average tax rate). The housing stock does tend to skew a bit older (character!), so the same $250K you’ll pay for that 800-square-foot cement-fronted one-bedroom “condo” in Queen Village will get you a three-bed, two-bath house with almost three times the space and an actual yard. Yes, you’re going to take a hit when it comes to good restaurants, bars, clubs, nightlife and cultural diversions (the exception being the awesome, member-supported Hiway movie theater, right there on Old York Road), but you’re two roads and 10 miles away from Center City—still close enough to make the occasional kickball game.

East Marlborough

Population: 7,026
School district: Unionville-Chadds Ford
SAT scores: 573 math / 591 reading / 567 writing
Crime rate: Zero violent crimes per 1,000; 2.08 nonviolent per 1,000
Median home price: $390,000
If you’ve ever seen one of those TV commercials where the mom, the dad and the two kids laugh and smile as they zoom around on bicycles or go hiking or just generally emphasize your personal couch-potato-ness by being relentlessly active, you may have wondered: Where are people like that? The answer: East Marlborough, where we’re surprised they don’t make you do drills to obtain a mortgage. As local father-of-three and relentless recreationist Brian Ladd describes it, EM is “a small, quiet rural community that’s also full of activity and life.” With almost a quarter of its population under age 18, the Chester County township caters to its kids, who mostly attend schools in the top-achieving Unionville-Chadds Ford district and fill the area’s teeming rec-sports leagues. But parents don’t just cheer on the sidelines: Families cruise the township’s 4,000 open acres on foot or bike, while the Don and Betty Draper set plays golf and tennis at the sleek Kennett Square Golf and Country Club. While you’ll find typical community-calendar fare (5K’s, art shows, a famed mushroom festival), the hamlet’s proximity to family-fave Longwood Gardens and its historic pedigree (a Revolutionary War battleground, several stops on the Underground Railroad) make it a bucolic-yet-active (and safe, with one of the lowest crime rates anywhere) alternative for child-rearing. And the milkshakes at Landhope Farms entice at any age.